


Ladies, Liars, and Thieves

by ghouls_buddy



Series: LL&T (Adeline Throckmorton) [1]
Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn, Misfits (TV 2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bridgerton (TV) Fusion, Alternate Universe - Misfits (TV 2009) Fusion, F/M, misfits characters in the bridgerton setting basically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:13:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29409600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghouls_buddy/pseuds/ghouls_buddy
Summary: Adeline Throckmorton, the 1815 season's incomparable, is terrified of marrying someone she doesn't love. She dreams of one day leaving high society, and there's nothing like a scandal to help this along, and nothing is quite as scandalous as a secret relationship with a working class, petty criminal by the name of Nathan Young.
Relationships: Nathan Young/Original Character(s), Simon Bellamy/Alisha Daniels
Series: LL&T (Adeline Throckmorton) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2160486
Kudos: 3





	Ladies, Liars, and Thieves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘The most peculiar story to come out of Lady Danbury’s ball Monday evening comes from the various witness accounts claiming to have seen Miss Throckmorton emerging from the gardens, alone. She was seen leaving the ballroom in a hurry, only to return near twenty minutes later, escorted by her rather angry looking mother. This author would love to know what has Mrs Throckmorton in such a huff, and what was the younger Throckmorton doing for so long, alone in the dark.’  
> \- LADY WHISTLEDOWN’S SOCIETY PAPERS, 10 April 1815

The doors swung open revealing a luxurious room, filled with people Adeline had known her whole life, people she had never met but no doubt knew who she was, and those who had minutes before made the same walk she was about to. Her mother linked her arm through hers, stepping forward, encouraging the young woman to go with her. She entered the room, her mind focused on each step, careful not to make a mistake that would end her season before it had even officially begun. Her eyes focused on the elegant figure seated at the other side of the room, her eyes focused on Adeline, waiting for that mistake to be made.

As she reached the end, Adeline gave a small curtsey, kneeling in front of the thrown as she awaited her judgement. Being the eldest Throckmorton daughter, this was the first time she had experienced a debut first-hand, relying on her mother’s stories and the gossip she had heard from those who had come before. All she knew was to wait for the Queen’s dismissal, holding her composure as the Queen took her in, determining whether she was of high standard.

Adeline had the biggest dowry of the season, which she had believed would be enough to place her as the one to watch, but as Her Majesty continued to stare at her, she began to grow nervous that something was wrong. Not that she cared, believing the whole thing to be utter nonsense. Why should she parade around for months, hoping that a man would decide that she was good enough to marry, to bear his children? She had hoped to make it through the season without receiving any legitimate offers. She didn’t necessarily want to spend her life as a spinster. She wasn’t against marriage itself, she would just rather do it for love, but, while a romantic, she wasn’t a fool. She knew this was unlikely to happen. 

The Queen rose from her thrown, stepping towards the young woman, dressed in all white, patiently kneeling before her. Next to the her, her mother stiffened, a signal to Adeline that this wasn’t normal. The royal stood in front of her, gently placing her fingers under Adeline’s chin, the coldness of them threatening to send a shiver though her, but she held back any physical reaction as the Queen lifted her face to look up at her. Adeline expected her to speak, but instead she gave a small, approving nod before retreating back to her thrown and dismissing the girl with a wave of her hand. Adeline rose, giving one final curtsey before following her mother to where the rest of her family stood, smiling at her with delight. She wasn’t sure what had happened exactly, but it felt like a positive thing, the buzz of her family’s excitement intoxicating enough to make her forget for a moment that this whole display was designed to auction her off.

\---

“Lady Whistledown?” Adeline read off of the sheet that her mother dropped onto the table next to her.

“Some new gossip sheet.” She informed her daughter, taking a seat to watch as the tailor worked at fastening Adeline into her new dress. Unlike most women, including her two younger sisters, Adeline couldn’t see the enjoyment in getting a new dress, looking through an endless number of fabrics, standing for hours as it gets tailored to her exact measurements, only to be worn for a few hours one time.  
“Stop that face” Her mother scolded. “You need to look your best for the first ball of the season. Tonight will determine how the rest of the season will go, so you have to impress.”

“I’m not doing anything with my face.” Adeline protested, though her discomfort was written all over it. She never had been very good at hiding her feelings. Glancing back down at the paper, she noticed her name on the front page. These gossips sheets circulated quite often, typically dying off in the first few months of publication, but they never before named their victims. She grabbed it, reading what had been said about her.

_‘Receiving Her Majesty’s highest approval was Miss Adeline Throckmorton. With this, and a rather sizeable dowry to her name, there is no other option then for this writer to declare her this seasons’ incomparable. Though for the other ladies, there is no need to be too concerned, for Miss Throckmorton has a reputation for a sour attitude, and I for one will be ready when it lands her in trouble.’_

“I don’t have a sour attitude.” Adeline argued, scrunching up the paper and dropping it back onto the table. Her mother huffed.

“That’s not the important part. She declared you this season’s incomparable.”

“Who cares what some bored, meddlesome woman says.” She realised that she was sounding quite sour but chose not to dwell on it. “Where did you even get this from?”

“It just showed up in the mail. You look gorgeous.” Her mother changed the subject, coming to stand behind her as the tailor stepped away. Victoria Throckmorton admired her daughters reflection, adoring how much of herself she saw in Adeline. The young woman had inherited her dark blonde locks and chocolate eyes, a rare combination that had made her stand out in her youth, and she knew it would be the same for her daughter.

“If you can just be polite all evening, we’ll be swarmed by suitors in the morning.” Adeline rolled her dark eyes at her mother’s remark.

“I can be polite.” She argued. Victoria hummed, knowing her daughter’s need to comment on anything that she disagreed with, which was most things. Adeline studied her dress, the emerald green had been her choice, the gold beading her mothers, and even she had to admit, it was perfect. She could see in her mother’s eyes that she was thinking the same thing.

“Can you send Miss Bailey up to do my hair?” She asked, giving her mother’s cheek a quick peck before sweeping out of the room.

\---

Standing on the skirts of Lady Danbury’s ballroom, Adeline absently played with the golden bracelet on her wrist, the one that had belonged to her grandmother and cost more than twice her dowry, as her mother sold her to the man in front of them. Donovan, she believed he had introduced himself as, nodded passively as Victoria told him all about Adeline’s many skills: piano, embroidery, reading; all the things every young woman in high society was taught to do. As a child, Adeline had insisted on learning a different skill, such as painting, or fencing, or baking. Something that would make her different from every other woman. Her mother had simply told her that men didn’t care for those skills, so they were a waste of time.

Adeline could tell that Donovan himself wasn’t paying attention to the speech her mother had being preparing all week, the man throwing glances across the room every time Victoria wasn’t looking directly at him. Adeline followed his eyeline, finding who was capturing his attention, her eyes landing on Miss Alisha Daniels. Adeline knew Alisha quite well, the pair having grown up together, and were all but forced to become friends on account of their mothers friendship. She could tell from the sly smile she was giving the man from across the room that she had already made her decision; Donovan would be courting her in the morning.

“It’s been lovely meeting you, Mr Donovan, I do hope we have the opportunity to speak again.” Adeline interrupted her mother, holding her hand out to the man. He took it, placing a gentle kiss on top of her glove.

“It’s been a pleasure.” He said, and with a nod of his head, he was gone.

“Adeline!” Victoria scolded her child.

“It was a waste of time I believe he is all but spoken for.” Adeline nodded to where Donovan was now talking to Alisha, a flirtatious smile playing on her lips as he led her to the ballroom to dance.

“That doesn’t mean anything. You could still have tried to make an impression.”

“You know as well as I do that if Alisha wants something, she gets it.” Defeated, her mother sighed.

“Well, let’s go introduce ourselves to Lord Bellamy.” Victoria linked her arm through Adeline’s leading her towards where Lord Simon Bellamy was stood nervously watching everyone dance.

“No, mother please!” Adeline begged, refusing to move, causing her mother to falter slightly. 

“He might not be the most well-spoken, confident fellow, but he is a Lord.” She argued, once again attempting to drag her daughter towards the man, but Adeline was able to slip her arm away from her mother’s grasp.

“My throat is dry. I’m going to get some lemonade and I’ll meet you over there.” She didn’t give time for her mother to disagree, walking through the crowd to the drinks table. Looking back to her mother, she saw the disapproving look she gave her before going over to Lord Bellamy to introduce herself and force him to listen to her twenty-minute speech about how good of a wife her daughter would make.

In the direction that Adeline was walking was a young man who, despite how he appeared, didn’t belong there. Unlike the other men in the crowded ballroom, Nathan wasn’t here to find a wife. He was here to make some money, and that was to come in the form of the golden band around the wrist of the elegant young woman heading in his direction. When her head was turned, looking in the direction she had just come from, Nathan moved forwards, colliding into her, though to anyone who had been watching, and to the young woman herself, it appeared as though it had been the other way around.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She cried, Nathan holding onto her forearms to help her regain some balance. She looked up to him apologetically, the softness in her dark eyes making Nathan forget for a moment why he had crashed into her. He soon remembered when he dragged his hand down her arm, running his fingers over the piece of jewellery as he moved his hand to hers.

“It’s fine.” He gave her his best smile, a smile which his mother had always said would land him in trouble one day. “Who could be mad in the presence of such a beautiful woman.”

Adeline might not have recognised this man, with his lovely smile and sparkling emerald eyes, but she recognised the line. He was not the first man to have said this to her that evening. She responded with a tired smile, hoping he was smart enough to see that she wasn’t looking for a conversation right now, but the fact that he had made no move to let go off her hand suggested otherwise.

“Hmm, not impressed by that line then. Though why would you be, I’m sure you’ve heard it many times.” This time when he smiled, only half of his mouth was upturned, giving him a devilish look that sent a wave of excitement through Adeline.

“Well, it wasn’t incredibly original.” She admitted, removing her hand from his, though the one that was still resting on her other arm remained in place, and she let it.

“I’d try again, but I fear I’ve already missed my shot.” He shrugged, removing his hand so that he was no longer touching her at all.

“I’m afraid I have no clue who you are.” She told him, making a show of looking at the miniatures that Lady Danbury had provided every debutante so that they were aware of all the eligible bachelors that season. “I’ve never seen you around, and I can’t seem to find you in the miniatures.”

“I’m new in town.” He replied simply, receiving a suspicious look from the woman.

“Oh, well then, welcome. Miss Adeline Throckmorton.” She introduced herself, giving him a small curtsey.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Throckmorton.”

“This is usually where you would tell me your name.” Adeline told him after a silence long enough to suggest he wasn’t going to get there on his own.

“Right. Yes. Nathan…ial. Chander…ton.” He replied, his eyes darting around the room, as though he was searching for the answer to a rather simple question, which he appeared to find on the ceiling, near the chandelier.

“Nathanial Chanderton.” He repeated with more confidence, daring to actually look proud of the name he had created.

“Chanderton?” Adeline questioned.

“Yep.”

“I’m not familiar with the name.” She said, making it obvious to the man that she was not believing his lie.

“Well, I am new here.” He argued.

“Right, but the thing is, the only ton’s I know off have been here for generations. As far as I was aware, there were no new ton’s.”

“Then you must have been lied to.” Adeline thought that the only person who had lied to her was the man stood before her, but not caring to argue much more, she dismissed herself from his company. Afterall, her mother was waiting for her, and she was rather thirsty.

“Clearly. Well, thank you for correcting my error, it was a pleasure to meet you.” She gave him a polite smile, moving to step around him, when he once again grabbed her hand, placing a kiss to the back of her gloved hand.

“The pleasure was all mine.” He gave her another one of those full smiles, Adeline feeling a little disappointed that he had turned out to be a liar, for he was by far the most attractive man she had met that evening.

What Adeline had failed to notice was that when her arm had fallen back to her side, the golden bracelet that had resided there was now falling into Nathan’s pocket. It wasn’t until she was reaching out for one of the small glasses on the table that she saw it missing, panic surging through her. Her mother was going to kill her. She scanned the floor, hoping that maybe it had just fallen off, but not finding it there. Looking around the room, she saw her mother, still talking to Lord Bellamy and not seeming to miss her presence. She was about to retrace her steps when she saw him, the handsome liar, hastily leaving the ballroom, and she knew instantly that it must’ve been him. It would explain his unexpected presence at the ball, explain why he had to lie about his name. She quickly followed him, leaving the ballroom and out the back doors. She followed him across the garden, waiting until she was far enough away from house that no one would hear her shout out to him.

“Hey! Chandeton!” The man looked back when he heard the name, but upon seeing the woman who he had just robbed, he sped up. It was only when he heard a scream that he stopped, seeing that she had fallen. After a moment of hesitation, chivalry winning out, he ran back to help her.

“Are you okay?” He asked her, looping his arm underneath hers to lift her.

“I’m fine.” She declared attempting to step away from him, wincing in pain when she put pressure on her ankle, and she nearly went down again, if not for Nathan quickly grabbing hold of her.

“I think it’s twisted.” He observed, adjusting their position so that she was more leaning on him then he was holding her. “Let me look at it.”

“Aha!” Adeline exclaimed, jumping away from the man, her injured ankle seemingly forgotten, the golden bracelet hanging from her fingers. She would’ve loved to claim that she had known exactly what pocket it would be in, worked it out based on the position they were stood when he had removed it, but it had in fact just been a stroke of luck that the only pocket she had access to had happened to be the right one.

“Your ankle is fine. You lied to me!” He accused her.

“Of course I did. You clearly weren’t going to stop, and I was never catching up to you, especially not in these heels. Besides, that’s very hypocritical coming from you, Mr _Chanderton._ Or whatever your name may be.” 

“Young.” He informed her.

“Excuse me?”

“Nathan Young.” He held his hand out towards her, which she stared at with disbelief, but shook anyway. He knew he shouldn’t have given her his real name, but there was just something about the young woman that made him want to tell her everything.

“Well, Mr Young, I can’t say it was particularly a pleasure to meet you.” She went to walk away when Nathan called out, panicked, grabbing her wrist.

“Wait.” He had nothing more to say when she stood expectantly, but he couldn’t let her go. If he went back empty handed, they would kill him. They had all risked too much for him to go back with nothing, but there was no time for him to go back in and find something new to steal. The man whose invitation he had used to get in, whose clothes he was wearing, would wake up soon, finding himself tied up in the back of pub, in only his undergarments. As though she could read his mind, Adeline rolled her eyes, pulling her wrist out of his grasp. She grabbed the hand that had been holding onto her, dropping the bracelet into it, and closing his fist around it.

“Take it.”

“What?” He asked, confused by the act.

“Clearly you need it, and I hate that thing, so it’s disappearance will be a benefit to us both.” She argued. The act of charity didn’t sit well with him, he had been raised to earn his own way, whether through legal means or not, and not rely on the kindness of strangers, as this didn’t come around often enough. He was going to argue that he couldn’t possibly take it now, but he also knew it was really his only choice, so he reluctantly thanked her.

“And a little piece of advice, if you try to pull something like this again.” He raised a brow at her, intrigued by what a rich debutante could possibly know about thievery that he didn’t.

“Do some research into the ton’s families. Make your lie believable.” She told him, walking away.

“Such as?” He asked, following after her.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, abruptly turning to face him, causing him to stumble in order to not crash into her. “Lord Quinn is of Irish decent. It’s not too far-fetched for him to have a distant cousin who just moved to the country.” Nathan considered this. He was pretty friendly with that new librarian girl; he could probably convince her to find some research on the Quinn family for him.

“Thank…” He began, finding the girl gone, leaving him with a bracelet worth more than he could ever imagine, and a head filled with a girl he couldn’t quite figure out.

Adeline quickly made her way back to the house, knowing that she had already been gone too long, hearing her mother calling for her.

“Adeline Pandora Throckmorton, where on earth have you been?” Her mother scolded, grabbing her roughly by the arm. “What were you doing out in the gardens, unchaperoned?”

“I felt faint, I wanted some air.” She told her. “I was only going to be a couple minutes but then I noticed my bracelet was gone, so I was looking for it. I can’t find it though, please don’t be too mad, I promise I looked really hard.” She pouted, tears filling her eyes, a talent she had learned early on in life, and her parents fell for every time. Victoria simply sighed, dragging her daughter back into the ballroom, forcing her to another two hours of greetings and dancing, a certain petty criminal occupying her mind for the rest of the evening.


End file.
